Arizona House Mulling Bill to Require That Presidential Candidates Present Qualifications to Be On Ballot

Transparency in eligibility:

The House voted 31-22 to add the provision to a separate bill. The measure still faces a formal vote.

It would require U.S. presidential candidates who want to appear on the ballot in Arizona to submit documents proving they meet the constitutional requirements to be president.

Phoenix Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema said the bill is one of several measures that are making Arizona "the laughing stock of the nation."

Seems like an eminently reasonable law to me. And much more constitutional than using the courts to topple a presidency.

"Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors..."

UPDATE: DrewM. did the work I was too lazy to do; he looked up the proposed language:

"B. The national political party committee for a candidate for president for a party that is entitled to continued representation on the ballot shall provide to the secretary of state written notice of that political party's nomination of its candidates for president and vice‑president. Within ten days after submittal of the names of the candidates, the national political party committee shall submit an affidavit of the presidential candidate in which the presidential candidate states the candidate's citizenship and age and shall append to the affidavit documents that prove that the candidate is a natural born citizen, prove the candidate's age and prove that the candidate meets the residency requirements for President of the United States as prescribed in article II, section 1, Constitution of the United States.

C. The secretary of state shall review the affidavit and other documents submitted by the national political party committee and, if the secretary of state has reasonable cause to believe that the candidate does not meet the citizenship, age and residency requirements prescribed by law, the secretary of state shall not place that candidate's name on the ballot."

Looks like any documents demonstrating citizenship will do. Like a U.S. passport, a birth certificate, or a certification of live birth...

posted by Gabriel Malor at 08:39 PM

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